Chapter 3

THREE

T he floor-to-ceiling windows of Chaos Amato's office at AmTech's headquarters offered a breathtaking panorama of San Francisco's skyline. The early morning sun glinted off the sleek glass and steel structures, casting a golden glow across the city. Inside, the office hummed with cutting-edge technology - holographic displays, AI assistants, and prototype gadgets that wouldn't hit the market for years.

Chaos stood at the window, his powerful frame silhouetted against the cityscape. At 6'3" with a muscular build honed by years of martial arts training, he cut an imposing figure. His tan skin and sharp features spoke to his Italian heritage, while his piercing hazel eyes scanned the horizon with the intensity of a predator surveying his territory.

He ran a hand through his short black hair, neatly trimmed and styled to perfection. The action revealed a glimpse of the tribal tattoos that snaked up his left arm, disappearing beneath the crisp white sleeve of his tailored shirt. A massive lion's head adorned his bicep - a nod to his shifter nature and his role as leader of the Amiati Northern Pride.

Chaos turned from the window, his movements fluid and purposeful. He adjusted the cuffs of his charcoal-gray suit jacket - Armani, of course - and strode to his desk. The surface of the glass top lit up at his approach, displaying his schedule for the day.

"Good morning, Mr. Amato," the AI assistant's pleasant voice filled the room. "You have a board meeting at nine followed by a product development review at eleven. Your 1:00 p.m. lunch with the CFO has been moved to 2:00 p.m. at his request."

Chaos grunted in acknowledgment. "Any messages?"

"Yes, sir. Your mother called twice this morning. She requested that you return her call at your earliest convenience."

A flicker of annoyance crossed Chaos's face. He knew exactly what his mother wanted to discuss, and he had no desire to have that conversation again. Still, Isabella Amato wasn't a woman to be ignored.

With a resigned sigh, Chaos tapped the call icon on his desk. His mother's face appeared on the holographic display, her elegant features and warm smile a stark contrast to Chaos's stern expression.

"Caro mio!" Isabella's melodious voice, tinged with a hint of her native Italian accent, filled the office. "I'm so glad you called back. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

Chaos's lips twitched in a wry smile. "Now why would you think that, Mamma?"

Isabella waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't be coy with me, Chaos. You know very well why I've been trying to reach you. We need to discuss your dinner with Brielle."

And there it was. Chaos's jaw clenched, his grip on the edge of his desk tightening imperceptibly. "Mamma, we've been over this. I'm not interested in meeting Brielle or any other woman you and Papa have lined up for me."

"Chaos Antonio Amato," Isabella's tone sharpened, all traces of playfulness vanishing. "You cannot keep putting this off. The arrangement has been made, and it's high time you started taking your responsibilities seriously."

"My responsibilities?" Chaos's voice remained level, but a dangerous edge crept in. "I run a multi-billion dollar tech company and lead one of the largest shifter prides in North America. I think I've got a handle on responsibility."

Isabella's expression softened. "Caro, I know how hard you work. Your father and I are so proud of everything you've accomplished. But there's more to life than business success. You need a partner, someone to share your life with."

"And you think some society princess you've picked out is going to be that partner?" Chaos couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice.

"Brielle comes from an excellent family," Isabella protested. "She's well-educated, beautiful-"

"And completely wrong for me," Chaos cut her off. "Mamma, I appreciate what you and Papa are trying to do, but I'm not going to marry someone just because it's a good match on paper."

Isabella sighed, a mixture of frustration and concern evident in her green eyes. "Chaos, you're not getting any younger. Your father and I won't be around forever, and we want to see you settled with a family of your own. The pride needs-"

"The pride is doing just fine," Chaos interrupted again. "And I'm only thirty-five, not exactly decrepit. I have plenty of time to find the right woman - on my own terms."

"But-"

"I'm sorry, Mamma, but I have to go. I have a board meeting." It wasn't entirely a lie - he still had nearly an hour - but Chaos needed to end this conversation before he said something he'd regret.

Isabella pressed her lips together, clearly unhappy but recognizing the finality in her son's tone. "All right, caro. We'll talk about this later. Ti amo ."

"I love you too, Mamma," Chaos replied, his voice softening slightly. He ended the call and leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.

As if on cue, his phone buzzed with an incoming text message. Chaos glanced at the screen and groaned. It was from his baby sister, Tia.

Hey, big bro! Vanessa's throwing a dinner party next Friday and specifically asked me to invite you. Please say you'll come. Pretty please?

Chaos's mood, already soured by the conversation with his mother, plummeted further. Vanessa Hartley was Tia's best friend - a vapid socialite whose sole ambition in life seemed to be marrying into money. She'd been not-so-subtly pursuing Chaos for years despite his complete lack of interest.

He typed out a quick response: Sorry, Tia. I've got a late meeting that night. Can't make it.

That was a lie, but Chaos would rather sit through a dozen boring meetings than spend an evening fending off Vanessa's advances and listening to her prattle on about the latest gossip.

Tia's reply came almost instantly: Ugh, you're no fun. All work and no play makes Chaos a dull boy, you know.

Chaos ignored the message, tossing his phone onto the desk with more force than necessary. He stood abruptly, needing to move and burn off some of this restless energy before he did something rash - like put his fist through the nearest wall.

A knock at the door interrupted his brooding. "Come in," Chaos called, forcing his voice to remain neutral.

Baxter Lennox, Chaos's best friend and COO of AmTech, stepped into the office. His muscular build rivaled Chaos's own. Baxter was one of the few people who could meet the lion shifter's gaze without flinching. His dark brown eyes took in Chaos's tense posture and the slight scowl on his face.

"Rough morning?" Baxter asked, closing the door behind him.

Chaos snorted. "You could say that. My mother called. Again."

Understanding dawned on Baxter's face. "Ah. The arranged marriage situation?"

"Got it in one," Chaos confirmed, dropping back into his chair. "She's pushing for me to have dinner with the latest candidate - some woman named Brielle."

Baxter leaned against the edge of Chaos's desk, arms crossed over his broad chest. "And I'm guessing you told her where she could stick that dinner invitation?"

"In slightly more polite terms, but essentially, yes." Chaos ran a hand through his hair, a rare display of frustration. "I don't know how much longer I can keep putting this off, Bax. They're getting more insistent."

"Have you considered just going along with it?" Baxter suggested, holding up a hand when Chaos opened his mouth to protest. "Hear me out. You go on one date with this Brielle woman. If it's terrible - which, let's be honest, it probably will be - you can tell your parents you gave it a shot and it didn't work out."

Chaos shook his head. "It's not that simple. In our world, agreeing to that first date is as good as an engagement announcement. If I meet with her, I might as well be signing a marriage contract."

Baxter whistled low. "Damn. No wonder you're so worked up about this. There's got to be a loophole, though. Some way out of it."

"If there is, I haven't found it yet," Chaos growled. He stood again, pacing the length of his office. "And it's not just my parents. The pride elders are starting to make noise about it too. They think it's time I settled down and produced an heir."

"Well, technically speaking, couldn't you do that without the whole marriage part?" Baxter's lips quirked in a wry smile.

Chaos shot him a withering look. "Very funny. You know that's not how it works for us. The pride needs stability, continuity. A strong, united leadership."

"Which apparently requires you to be shackled to some society princess who probably couldn't tell a circuit board from a cheese board," Baxter muttered.

"Exactly," Chaos agreed, his frustration evident in every line of his body. "They don't care if she's completely wrong for me, or if we have nothing in common. All that matters is that she comes from the right family and knows how to play the perfect trophy wife at social functions."

Baxter's expression grew thoughtful. "You know, there might be another way out of this."

Chaos paused his pacing, one eyebrow raised in skepticism. "I'm listening."

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but the whole point of this arranged marriage is to make sure you end up with a suitable mate, right?" Baxter waited for Chaos's nod before continuing. "So what if you found your own woman first? Someone who meets all the necessary criteria but is actually compatible with you?"

Chaos considered the idea, a glimmer of hope sparking in his eyes. "That... might actually work. But where am I supposed to find this mythical perfect woman? In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have a lot of free time for dating."

"I might have a solution for that too," Baxter said, a hint of mischief in his tone. "Have you ever heard of Gerri Wilder?"

Chaos frowned, the name tickling something in the back of his mind. "It sounds vaguely familiar. Should I know who that is?"

"She runs a matchmaking service - the Paranormal Dating Agency. Apparently, she has a 100% success rate in pairing up shifters and other supernatural beings with their perfect mates."

Chaos's eyebrows shot up. "A matchmaker? Seriously, Bax?"

Baxter shrugged. "I know it sounds crazy, but I've heard some pretty incredible stories. My cousin used her service last year and swears Gerri found him his true mate. They're disgustingly happy together now."

"Huh." Chaos rubbed his jaw, considering the possibility. It was unconventional, to say the least, but at this point, he was willing to try almost anything to avoid the fate his parents had planned for him. "And you think this Gerri person could help me?"

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Baxter pulled out his phone, tapping at the screen. "I've got her contact info here if you want it."

Chaos hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. On one hand, the idea of using a matchmaker seemed ridiculous - he was Chaos Amato, for crying out loud. He could have his pick of women if he wanted. But therein lay the problem. The women who threw themselves at him were only interested in his money, his status, or the thrill of bagging a powerful shifter. None of them saw him for who he really was.

Maybe this Gerri Wilder could find him someone different. Someone who would challenge him, support him, and see beyond the facade of the ruthless businessman and alpha shifter.

"All right," Chaos said finally. "Send me her information. I'll give her a call later today."

Baxter grinned, tapping a few more times on his phone. "Done. You won't regret this, boss. Who knows? Maybe you'll meet the love of your life and live happily ever after."

Chaos snorted. "Let's not get carried away. I'll settle for someone I can stand to be in the same room with for more than five minutes."

"Baby steps," Baxter agreed with a chuckle. He glanced at his watch. "We should head out soon if we want to make it to the boardroom in time."

Chaos nodded, his mind already shifting gears to business mode. "Right. Give me five minutes to grab my things."

As Baxter left to make the final arrangements, Chaos allowed himself a moment of reflection. He thought about the endless parade of vapid socialites and gold-diggers he'd endured over the years. The constant pressure from his family and the pride to settle down with someone who looked good on paper but left him cold inside.

For the first time in a long time, Chaos felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this Gerri Wilder could help him find what he'd been searching for all along - a true partner. Someone who would see past his wealth and status to the man beneath. Someone who could match his passion, his drive, his intensity.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Chaos gathered his briefcase and strode out of his office. Whatever happened next, he was determined to take control of his own destiny - in business and in love.